Returning Her Ring
by Celtic Lass
Summary: Eddie showed up at Paige's coronation, telling her he couldn't be without her. Just a few thoughts as to how the rest of the day may have played out. Prince & Me Story.


AN: I don't own any of the characters. This is just a short piece showing some of the scenes that may have played out after Eddie showed up on the day of her graduaton. Enjoy!

*~*~*

Paige grinned up at Eddie, just now realizing that she was back in his arms how much she had missed him since leaving him in Denmark. Eddie smiled softly at her, his hands warm around her waist even through the material of her graduation gown. "I missed you."

He bent down, pressing another kiss to her lips, linking one of her hands with his. "I missed you as well. I don't want to lose you again Paige."

She blinked at him, realizing that she probably shouldn't be as surprised by his words as she was, considering the way they had left things. "You didn't lose me Eddie. I just…"

"Shh. We'll talk about it later, all right? I have a feeling there is a celebration planned in honor of today?"

Paige nodded, looking over her shoulder at her family. "Yes, we were going to have dinner…wait, Eddie wasn't there some sort of festival going on?" Eddie nodded and she knew then that no matter what came along, this was going to work out in the end. "But you came."

"I came."

*~*~*

Paige shifted from one foot to anther as Soren opened the door to the hotel suite that Eddie was staying in, and allowed Eddie to pull her into the room. They'd spent the better part of the day after his surprise arrival spending time with her family and friends and their families.

It had been a bit awkward at first – especially for those there that had no idea the significance of his appearance, or who he really was. Her family had been so helpful though, regaling the group of them with the story of the lawnmower race and the subsequent fight. Eddie had smiled through it, adding in his perspective every so often, all the while standing at her side, either a hand clasped in hers or an arm around her shoulder or waist. He'd joined them for dinner, one more not making a difference to the reservations of 23 that had been made two months ago. And ignoring the protests of everyone there, he'd picked up the tab.

"I'll be in the next room if you need me, Sire."

Eddie nodded and turned to her, his fingers playing over hers. He sighed deeply and just looked at her for a long moment, pulling her to him a second later. She gasped as his arms went tight around her and she sunk into his embrace as he kissed her, more deeply than their other kisses of the day. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to let you go."

"I didn't exactly give you a choice," Paige pointed out.

"We could have figured something out. Please say we can work something out. I need you in my life Paige. These past few weeks have been torture without you." He sighed and brushed a hand across her cheek. "Worse then when we weren't talking."

"God, Eddie – I didn't like it either, but has anything really changed?" She gave a defeated shrug of her shoulders and moved to sit on one of the chairs positioned in the center of the room. "You're still King. And I still want to be a doctor."

"And I still want to marry you. Everything else we'll just have to work out."

"You know this isn't going to be easy right? I mean, if we do this…I'm still going to want to be a doctor."

He moved next to kneel on the floor in front of her, his hands finding hers on her lap. "Paige, if what you said back at the palace still holds, I won't hold it against you. I understand the pressures of being royal."

Paige shook her head. "I'm not saying this right. That's not what I mean. I do love you, Eddie, and you being King and any fears I have of being a part of that has nothing to do with it."

"But?"

She looked at him, his blue eyes serious as they gazed back at her, and she shook her head. "Nothing." A tremulous smile crept onto her face as clarity finally snapped into place. "You really think we can work this out?"

He raised their joined hands to his lips, brushing a light kiss across her knuckles. "I told you earlier that I don't want to lose you again. I'm willing to work this out Paige."

"I love you."

Eddie smiled at her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out her ring. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife, Paige Morgan?"

There wasn't anything else she could – or wanted to – say, but, "Yes."


End file.
